Kitchen Table and Chairs Makeover

And they were done! I'm so glad to check this project off my to do list. First, my garage is emptier and second, this week it's been cold, no need to work outside. :)

This is a photo loaded post, it looks like there were many steps involved, but not really. This is not a tutorial, it's more like an account of everything I did, including the mistakes, so hopefully you can avoid them.

They were in overall good condition. I also told you how while working on an antique table I went ahead an used Citristrip to strip all the pieces, the old table, the chairs and the pedestal table.

It was a BIG MISTAKE to apply the furniture stripping to these chairs and pedestal table because they didn't have lots of layers of paint or varnishes. A light sanding would've been OK, mainly because I was thinking on painting them.

This is how the chairs looked after about 30 minutes of applying the Citristip.

The gooey product had to be removed. Taking it off the table top was easy using a plastic scraper, but on the chairs and table base it was a pain doing it that way.

In the same previous post I asked you, my dear readers, for help! Luckily Tracy, Donna Wilkes, and Beck from Beckwith's Treasures gave me invaluable information on how to remove just about anything from furniture pieces. I love Beck's tutorial on how to refinish a piece of furniture right HERE. It has lots of amazing information from someone who has done this kind of work not just one but many, many times!

So, I scraped off some of the stripping product, but then I had to wash off the remaining product with Denature alcohol and steel wool. -That's the product I had on hand. It worked fine, it was like giving the chairs and table a bath until all the sticky product and varnish was gone.

Afterwards, I used the palm sander with a fine grid sandpaper on the tabletop, the chairs and table base were given a light sanding by hand.

Then, it was time to apply the primer. I used Kilz 2 Latex. Here the chairs and table base with one coat.

One more coat of primer was needed.

Then, some more sanding. Well, after each application of primer and/or paint you have to sand the pieces to get rid of rough spots. I only sanded after the second application of primer -220 grid sandpaper.

Painting by hand with a brush takes time. This kind of chairs are hard to paint, so many rails, spindles and legs! :/

Well, I had a stroke of luck! My brother in law happened to stop by and offered to lend me one of his spray paint guns.

Things got even better, Mr.RLC took charge of the project. I couldn't believe it! All for the fun of using the paint sprayer. :)

He gave the chairs and base of the table two coats of Behr - Off White in a semi-gloss finish.
He also screw the rush seats back onto the chair frames not before dusting them very well. Oh, and he also installed the leg caps on all the chairs and table.

The tabletop was the last piece of the puzzle. I had this quart of Rust-Oleum Wood Stain -Driftwood finish from when I painted the floor in the guest room. So, I tried it underneath the table.

This turned out so beautifully! You BOTH did a great job.The rush seats and the color on the table top gives just the right touch of home!I hope you share it with us at WIW, we'd love to have you!Patti

Popped over from MMS. It turned out beautiful. Your hard work paid off. Just finished a similar dining table using chalk paint and a wood graining tool. Like you, I wanted to finish before it got too cold to work in the garage and happy to have more room in the garage as well. Stop by and have a look: http://www.thediyspot.com/2014/10/dining-room-table-part-2/ I've used Citristrip a lot in the past, not so much lately especially if I'm going to use chalk paint. However, the couple of times I attempted to use my paint sprayer, it resulted in a pebbly orange peel finish. I know it's a time saver but I haven't mastered it's use. DIY is just and ongoing learning experience.

THIS LOOKS FANTASTIC! And yes, it was necessary to use all caps here because it turned out AWESOME! I've been so tempted to use a paint sprayer but always chicken out. I just imagine myself turning around and spraying whatever is close to me...my house, car, patio, child. You're giving me hope! I always love your projects, but this one might be a favorite =) Kyla @ http://houseofhipsters.com/

Hi, I think my previous question didn't post. I found this page when I searched for examples of the rustoleum driftwood. I LOVE how your table turned out but so far I am not as impressed with mine. I was wondering what you did in between each step. As in, did you sand between coats of stain, or befoire applying wax? And did you wait a certain time before applying the wax? I'm never used wax before but I don't think I could do any more damage than I already have so I would love to try. Any help would be very much appreciated.

Hi, I think my previous question didn't post. I found this page when I searched for examples of the rustoleum driftwood. I LOVE how your table turned out but so far I am not as impressed with mine. I was wondering what you did in between each step. As in, did you sand between coats of stain, or befoire applying wax? And did you wait a certain time before applying the wax? I'm never used wax before but I don't think I could do any more damage than I already have so I would love to try. Any help would be very much appreciated.

Hi Mandi, The sanding was done before applying the stain, I didn't like the old finish, and even though the sanding was rough, some traces of the old brownish color couldn't be removed (now I think they give more character to the table).I didn't sand in between coats of stain. My waiting time for the stain to dry was approx. two hours. As I stated in my post, I didn't like how the two coats of stain looked on the table, too white and blah. I thought I've made a mistake too, so, I tried to fix it with wax and it worked! The one that works is the dark wax, but for the dark wax not to look like a big dirty patch, you need to FIRST apply the clear wax, this is very important -First clear wax and buff it, once done with the buffing of the clear wax, begin applying the dark wax in small quantities until you're happy with it, buff again and you're done.I've been using this table everyday and the finish is still going strong. Probably I'm going to apply some more wax when warmer temperatures arrive.Apply the wax with a brush, there are special brushes for wax but I think you can do it with a paint brush, dip the bristles slightly into the wax and spread it very well on the wooden surface. The buffing is done with an old rag.I hope this can be of help. Let me know it turned out.

Cristina, how is the top holding up? I love the color combo. Was going to do my table all white (it is wood), but now might go this route. Just curious of wax only on top really holds up to the daily (ab)use.

Thanks Elena! I've been using this table everyday for almost a year now and I'm very happy at how good it still looks. I was also worried about using wax to protect it because this is the table we used the most. At first any glass or cup was placed on a coaster because I was afraid the table would get those ugly rings beverages leave, but after about a month of use I didn't worry any more, so far I see no marks on the table at all.I might say wax is a strong protective product. Spills and dirty spots had been cleaned up with a damp cloth, some times adding a bit of a soft soap on it, rinsing again with a damp cloth. It's about time for me to re-apply the wax, the table doesn't have the same sheen as when it was finished, however that's something that's very easy to do and it usually takes less than 10 minutes.

Hi Josh, yep, I first applied the clear wax and then the dark. You can apply the wax with a lint-free cloth, though, I applied it using a wax brush, rubbing the wax on a circular motion to form a thin, even coating. Let the wax dry completely before polishing it with a clean cloth. Then, you can apply one or more coats of dark wax, depending on how dark you want the final finish.

I really like the table top color and wanted to do something similar. I'm glad to see you have the honey oak type floors like I do. I was afraid it wouldn't look good with them, but it seems fine in our pics. What are your thoughts?

Christina, chalk paint with wax, especially Annie Sloan chalk paint, is very durable. You say you have small children, but the wax is very safe unless your children chew on the table. From what I have read they are past that stage. I have done a table for my niece that they use every day and it is holding up quite well. People use it to paint their kitchen cabinets. You do not have to use distress it if you want it to be just a smooth paint finish., don't distress. I have not primed nor sanded in years. Best of luck to you and your painting endeavors.

Thanks Theresa! Good to know. I gotta save that tip for next time I use glaze. :) Though, the wax did a really good job. Almost two years and I haven't applied a second coat... It's long due, but the table is still looking good.

Love love love this table! I am going to purchase the supplies to do it this weekend :) Quick question- do I have to use the wax when I am finished? I was looking for the type of wax you used and I only found it on Etsy or Ebay. Do you recommend another wax product?

Cristina, I was poking around the internet looking for the exact limed oak look I wanted and came across your table. It came out beautifully!!!! One of my favorites of all that I've seen. Everything you do is right up my alley!!!

Beautiful! I have a table about that size that needs to be redone. I had been looking online at ones similar to what you were looking at but was astounded at the price. I found a table on Craigslist that is very similar. I will follow your steps and and hopefully have something as pretty as yours! Absolutely lovely!

I just love this table! I have an old Ethan Allen set from my parents that really looks it's age. I would love to do something like this, but the table has a formica top. Do you think that it would work? I know that I could paint the formica top, but do you know of any way to still keep that wood grain look?

Oh my goodness. Since you were familiar with Annie Sloan chalk paint (I see you used the wax,) why in the world did you do all of that stripping? Your project is beautiful, but all the work you did makes me exhausted. You could have stripped the top, cleaned the rest of the set with a little Dawn and warm water, and then painted with old white. Please remember with your next project that you do not have to strip and sand anything. With Annie Sloan's to paint all you have to do is wipe it down and paint.

Oh Lane, I don't even want to remember that. The chairs were even more trouble. such a dumb decision! :/ You're so right, those are the exact steps I should had taken. Live and learn. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Hi Michelle, the other product you can use is clear polyurethane or Shellac, though I haven't used those products in years! I would go with wax if I have to do it again, it's a more natural finish. And you know what? I haven't re-applied any more wax to it and it's still looking great after almost three years of using it daily!